I haven’t heard the new ones, but the old ESP 6 was darn good. Except it was too heavy to be very comfortable. And it was before there were nice pads to roll.
Beware of channel imbalances in the older headphones (as in 20 years + older).
4 Likes
Beware of imbalance on new models too, I was going to get a second hand 009… long story short I got a hold of one with an “intermittent” imbalance so I decided to go new… maybe it’s just 009 but I don’t know that I’d be comfortable buying second hand
Now the second hand stock over at Mjolnir is likely a excellent batch but I’d be skeptical about elsewhere… and as always ymmv
5 Likes
Spending some time with the ES-1A, quite nice so far with the “dark” pads. Full bodied, nice detail and staging! Bass catches me off guard sometimes haha
6 Likes
Thanks for the tips and advice guys.
I can buy from Drop but I need to factor in shipping and import, so the $450 of the ESP95X would probably end up costing me around $650-700.
I will check out the Mjolnir site although I would still need to factor in the same costs etc.
To be honest, I am not in a rush, it is just something I would like to try at some point. I will keep my eyes open for used stuff (like the Koss) that is already in the EU and ask back here if I see anything specific.
4 Likes
Hi,
My personal favourite is the normal bias Lambda (a lot of the time sellers do not know which one it is, you can recognise it as a black Lambda with a 6-pin normal bias connector and a yellow coloured damping material in the housing), because it just simply gets a lot of things right and sounds great with whatever it’s been attached to, whether that’s an SRD-7 adapter or a dedicated amp (which really stretches the budget, but lifts up the performance, my choice for the least amount of money possible would the SRA-3S which is a great match although it is quite uncommon and usually needs refurbishing). I would call it the the music listener’s choice, because of its euphonic and smooth nature. Personally, I prefer the sound of these to the Koss ESP95X which are faster and more forward and lively, but do not seem to be quite as refined overall.
It is more and more difficult to get it at that price point (as it starts to get the recognition it deserves and it also gets rarer even though it was being produced for a long time period), but not impossible, although they do get sold pretty quickly as I think they worth at least double that, if not more. And that’s because the tuning of a lot of models that followed it and are arguably technically superior, they do not quite seem to hit that “right” sweet spot.
Depending on the type of music you listen to, I can also suggest the SR-X Mk3 for a more forward and intimate, although somewhat bright and bass-shy presentation, great for acoustic music. These were used in studios so there may be some imbalance troubles involved, and they are supra-aural, which may be uncomfortable for some people, but they are more readily available at this price point.
The third pick of mine would be the SR-5 Gold, which is somewhere in between and it seems not as rare in the EU compared to the US. These are a slight evolution over the SR-3 New which you can find for cheaper, but these usually come looking a lot less used, so any sort imbalance issue is quite low.
Right now I use the SR-Lambda and SR-X Mk3 Pro (which is like a beefed-up but exceedingly rare variant of the normal SR-X Mk3) and really like both and happy to share more thoughts on them if anyone is interested.
5 Likes
Thank you for the details, I will put them in my “watch” radar.
2 Likes
I bought my SR-5/SR-5n new, and it still gets plenty of use. The flagship was the Lambda normal bias, and the Lambda Pro was just coming out. Those sounded sweet, but I would not afford them. Most of the earlier STAX were sold with energizers - the SRD-4, SRD-6 or SRD-7. If you get an energizer, look for one that supports both standard and pro bias IF you plan on getting some vintage headphones. Energizers connect to a standard amp of 20 watts RMS per channel or more. Most dedicated estat amps are better than energizers. If I were going to get an energizer to save money, I’d really want the new version of the SRD-7 that Birger makes and sells on his Mjölnir website.
I must say that I’m also really liking the Nectar Hive, but that is very new and a boutique manufacturer.
4 Likes
From what I read the sr-x mk3 pro has really good timbre, very very natural signature. I have Sr-Lambdas (1979) as well.
6 Likes
I haven’t experienced a Stax yet, but it’s nice to see everyone (including newer forum members) enthusiastically discussing them.
Looking forward to getting ears on some. 
2 Likes
Yes, also their sense of immediacy and smaller (but expansive) soundstage makes it a really great complement to any Lambda. Although I might have to keep looking if I want to find the optimal amp, currently using the T1S and the modified 727 it would need some things from both of them, while the Lambda is going to play well with almost anything, just a question of which kind of flavor the user wants to add to that.
2 Likes
I almost jumped on a T1w about a few months ago. It sold in about an hour lol
1 Like
I like the modified T1S that I got from Mjolnir, but I have wondered how difficult it would be to build the KGSSHV from the boards and basic kit Birger sells. Looks beyond my skill level.
1 Like
Yes, in the future, I intend to investigate in detail just how much more can be gained with an aftermarket amp in terms of sound quality.
It still won’t change the fact that to my ears, the Lambda already sounds excellent with the T1S.
1 Like
My experience with a L700 of going from a Stax SRM-007tII to a KGSShv was that it was a noticeable improvement. The KGSShv had much better control over the music, everything became tighter and more well defined. It is definitely worth it to invest in better amplification to get more out of electrostatic headphones, the Stax models scale well with better amps.
6 Likes
Well with my Koss 95X I felt the pads made a bigger impact than the energizer, however with 009 even a different DAC had OBVIOUS scale, like honestly I can’t say I enjoy 009 on RME adi2… HD 800 does so much with that dac behind it 009 seems like a waste
Now scaling up to M3, yes 009 and HD 800 have more differentiating qualities in how they present “nuance” but ADI2 was so kinda soft/smooth in comparison it masked a lot of what I felt makes 009 worthwhile
In terms of amplification I have no doubt it makes a significant impact for Stax electrostats!!!
2 Likes
Hi, new here.
I grew up listening in the great halls of the US, and my fathers Quad’s. Many decades later I down sized from my big room speakers to headphones. I like the HD-600/800 on an OTL. I like the HE-6se, HE-500, HEX v2 on my Ragnarok. But the best I’ve heard - better than the Susvara is the Voce and the current 007.
I’m pretty intimidated by the heavy hitter sized amps to drive these. I’m hoping to find a good one - perhaps an Octave? I’d really like it be balanced in. (I use Tidal/UAPP/Toneboosters EQ/Schiit Gumby). Generally I find estats a bit cold - so a hybrid amp or warm SS (in the Pass style, just not $) to warm it up a bit.
By all means posit ideas, schemes, plans…
3 Likes
First great choice starting with an Octave! Spritzer and the Mjolnir brand are excellent, like your self I wanted tube for my eStat so I wound up with a SRM 007tA with CCS Mod, I know Mjolnir has two hybrid tube units under $1700, atm both with the CCS mod which I think is worthwhile.
Have you purchased an eStat or are you still looking? An do you have a budget in mind?
1 Like
That’s the same setup I have from Mjolnir. The SRM-T1S with his mods. I think it sounds just fine. I’m driving either my old standard bias SR-5N STAX, or the new Hive from Nectar.
1 Like
Finally have a decent picture of the amp,
Also relevant pic for the thread, my latest review video also covers an over-view of a few eStats too
7 Likes